Microsoft in compliance with 2004 ruling, EU says
(NetworkWorld)

The EU now says Microsoft will be in compliance. I say “will be” because it has not happened just yet.

The article says:

The first change the company has agreed to is that open source software developers will be able to access and use the interoperability information, as required in the 2004 ruling.
Second, the royalties payable for this information will be reduced to a nominal one-off payment of €10,000 and third, the royalties for a worldwide license, including patents, will be sharply reduced, the Commission said.

So I guess the information is still not available to all but only those who pay money. And I suppose SAMBA and perhaps others can arrange for some €10,000s. But, who all gets to see the information? It would appear it would still be restricted.

The problem remains however with the solution itself. Getting access to Microsoft technology may permit compatible systems but it does little to encourage or permit technology that can substitute. And substitution is essential in the long run. Otherwise everyone is just paying Microsoft royalties and indeed strengthening the monopoly and its dependence upon Microsoft technology.

That does not describe a viable competitive market that affords substituted technology. And that restricts innovation as well.

Unbundling networking technology remains essential. Without unbundling, superior technology does not have an opportunity. And that means technology in use will remain forever inferior.

Markets work just fine if you let them. Sharing information does not accomplish that.

Update:

A CNet article explains it a bit different:

The agreement identifies three changes in Microsoft business practices that will bring the firm into compliance: competing software developers will be able to access and use Microsoft's interoperability information; royalties for use of the interoperability information will be reduced to a nominal payment of 10,000 euros ($14,348); and royalties for a worldwide license for use of its product, including patents, will be reduced to 0.4 percent from 5.95 percent.

It is not at all clear how this might impact software distributed via the GPL.